Writer’s Digest Magazine: 2009 Editorial Calendar
Everyone has been so helpful in giving feedback on magazine content, so here’s a sneak peek at our issue themes for the coming year. This is a very broad-stroke outline,…
Everyone has been so helpful in giving feedback on magazine content, so here's a sneak peek at our issue themes for the coming year. This is a very broad-stroke outline, but gives you a sense of our focus each issue.
If there's a particular technique, topic, or area that you've always hoped we'd cover, let me know!
April 2009
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELF PUBLISHING
- The new perception of self-publishing; emerging tools and models
- Resource chart on POD companies (what they offer, fees, rights, etc.) and reader feedback on self-publishing experiences.
WORKBOOK: Revision and Self-Editing
- How to turn a first draft into a salable manuscript
- When and how to work with freelancers to get a book into shape
June 2009
GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL (MARKETING & PROMOTION ISSUE)
- How to market and promote yourself before and after you make the sale
- The most effective way to use social networking tools to sell yourself & your book
- Hands-on guide to online viral marketing tools (blog tours, book trailers, reading groups, podcasts)
WORKBOOK: Writing Memoirs and Life Stories (when you’re not a name)
August 2009
PUBLISHING 101: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU WRITE A WORD
- Visual guide to how your book moves from proposal to print to on the shelf—all the steps, all the things you need to know ahead of time
- What to expect from your publisher (editorial, marketing, publicity)
- How the industry has changed and new steps you need to take to ensure successful publication
WORKBOOK: The Art & Craft of Storytelling; Hooking Your Reader From Page One
October 2009
AGENTS AND EDITORS SPEAK OUT (THE GATEKEEPER ISSUE)
- The new roles of gatekeepers and how to be an equal partner in publication
- The anatomy of a book deal and a book contract: what you must know and ask about even if you do have an agent
WORKBOOK: Novel-writing related
December 2009
THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING
- The changing economic model of media and the emerging role of writers as content providers—five essential rules to follow to stay in the game
- How to negotiate the smartest deal for digital rights and e-rights (and when to keep all such rights for yourself)
WORKBOOK: Writing Groups & Critique Group Guide; A Fresh Start in the New Year

Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).